Bridgewater is one of four prospects in the discussion to be the top quarterback selected in May’s NFL draft. The others are Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel and UCF’s Blake Bortles.

Of the four, Bridgewater is often referred to as the most pro-ready quarterback. Bridgewater’s football intelligence and accuracy set him apart:

“Playing the position, you have to be able to handle a lot,” Bridgewater told the Houston Chronicle’s Jerome Solomon. “I showed I’m able to handle a heavy load and a ton of responsibility, not only from a quarterback’s standpoint, but from learning what a coach is thinking and trying to be that coach on the field. You have to play smart to do that, you have to know the entire offense, where everybody is supposed to be, know defenses and what they are trying to do and know what the coach expects from you.”

But those two qualities don’t necessarily make him the best fit for the Vikings.

The Vikings’ new head coach, Mike Zimmer, hired Norv Turner as the team’s offensive coordinator. Turner’s system is based on a vertical passing attack that requires a quarterback to throw to every area of the field.

As talented as Bridgewater is, his greatest weakness is an inability to consistently stretch the field.

Bridgewater’s accuracy dropped off dramatically when he threw the ball 20 or more yards down field. He completed only 50.8 percent of his passes in those instances, according to Rotoworld’s Greg Peshak. At every other level, Bridgewater completed at least 68.5 percent of his passes.

Of the previously mentioned quarterbacks, only Carr had a lower completion percentage on deep passes.

In the end, all of the Vikings’ preparation could prove moot. Even though Bridgewater isn’t an ideal fit for the system, he may not even be available with the eighth-overall selection.

The Vikings may be better served to spend more time with Manziel or a second-round option like LSU’s Zach Mettenberger. Both are better throwing the ball down the field. The availability of both is also more likely than Bridgewater. They can then pair either with the recently re-signed Matt Cassel.

Bridgewater, meanwhile, will be on full display for the entire NFL when he participates in Louisville’s pro day Monday.